A hospital morning...

A month or so ago my routine bowel screening tested positive for blood so that had to be investigated further. I had no symptoms at all but on receiving that letter what I call the Dr Google effect kicked in and I started to feel (imagine?) pain, bloating, you name it!

A colonoscopy was arranged, then put off for a week and then set for tomorrow. But 2 days ago I had a phone call asking if I’d like to get it done today. So today it was.
Check in at 7.30 am was fairly early considering I couldn’t get to bed till about 1am because of the laxative.
I decided against sedation but when everyone from the receptionist onwards expressed great surprise that I wasn’t I did feel a bit of panic but too late to worry.
Four years ago Guernsey screened using the flexible sigmoid examination and that wasn’t too bad but this had to go round more corners. But actually there was nothing unpleasant about it. Part way through I was offered gas and air and since that’s something I’d never tried I said yes please. It seemed OK until it started to kick in and the screen which I was watching the examination on started to go a little out of focus. So no more using the gas and air.
All in all not even an unpleasant experience. The doctor and nurses all foreign and were discussing the exam they need to take to get Guernsey citizenship so I could help with some of the questions.
And all they found was one minuscule polyp so I have the all clear.
Next thing is to get my hip x-rayed tomorrow to see how soon I’ll need a new one.
I’m not sure being 70 is all it’s cracked up to be...
Photograph is a parish pump I passed on my walk home from the hospital.